Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. REM had just signed a their first major label contract when they headed into the studio to record their 6th album "Green". The fellas welcome a special guest from the @VerseChorusVerse music podcast and discuss whiny vocals, the history of college radio, and the curse of a successful first album Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode com...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 103
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Specials sought to combine punk energy with traditional ska rhythms on their eponymous debut produced by Elvis Costello. The boys discuss the political landscape of late 70s UK, classic clapping patterns, and Egyptian scales. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this epi...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 102
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Electric Prunes were early psych pioneers in 1960s LA but bad contracts and a lack of creative control thwarted their attempts to hit the big time. The team discuss tremolo, shouted vocal takes, and the Sesame Street recording catalog. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced o...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 101
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Led Zeppelin were breaking huge and touring the world while recording the followup to their smash hit debut. The boys discuss (what else?) hard-panning, extended song breakdowns, and drunken tour antics. We are celebrating our 100th episode by taking things all the way back to the beginning. We kicked off the podcast by discussing LZ1 so this week we have another crack at Zep in the form of LZII. Email ...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 100
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Black Crowes were a throwback American rock band long before throwback American rock bands were cool. They had a huge hit with their debut record Shake Your Money Maker . The gents discuss open tunings, corporate tour sponsorship, and, of course, the Hammond organ. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilatio...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 99
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Devo started as an art project in Akron, Ohio but garnered enough attention to have David Bowie consider producing their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! The boys welcome special guests and discuss robots, brown notes, and circuit-bending. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs w...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 98
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Tina Turner rose to stardom in the 60s before she fell on hard times and launched a comeback in her mid-forties with Private Dancer . The fellas discuss synth harmonica, prog saxophone, and embracing the cheese. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https:...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 97
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Pixies were ahead of their time when they released their debut album Surfer Rosa. The teams discuss stage names, questionable lead guitar , and spelling your band's name during the song. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://open.spotify.com/playli...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 96
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Beck got his start in the anti-folk scene of LA, then scored a huge hit with "Loser" before holing up with the Dust Brothers to make his follow up album Odelay . The team discuss sampling strategies, playing every instrument, and not caring what the world thinks. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of t...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 95
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Norah Jones grew up in Texas as the estranged daughter of the world's most famous sitar player Ravi Shankar before getting noticed by Blue Note and recording her smash hit debut Come Away with Me . The fellas discuss impeccable production, the concept of repertoire, and klezmer music. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion play...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 94
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sam Cooke was already one of the biggest selling artists of the early 1960s when he took the stage at this small club in Miami. Unfortunately the recording was shelved for 20 years. The team discuss vocal control, audience participation, and arc of Sam Cooke's career. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 93
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Love was the hippest band on the Sunset Strip in mid-1960s, and Forever Changes was their magnum opus of baroque psychedelic pop. The gents discuss the Wrecking Crew, poets as lead singers, and late 1960s paranoia. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: htt...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 92
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Spiritualized rose from the ashes of Spaceman 3 in the early 90s and debuted to the world on Lazer Guided Melodies. The gents discuss white noise variations, mixing "spaciness", and the rules of songwriting. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://op...
Feb 06, 2023•59 min•Ep. 91
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Red Hot Chili Peppers were ready for a change when they recruited Rick Rubin to produce their 5th album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The boys discuss Anthony Kiedis' gibberish lyrics, Frusicante's syncopated guitar parts, and Flea's legacy as a bass player. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we ...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 90
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Mac Rebennack left New Orleans only to reunite with NOLA musicians in LA and create what would be his most successful persona Dr John. The boys discuss sonic textures, 9 finger piano playing, and the lures of the sacred swamp Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 89
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Guns and Roses were the hottest band to come out of the Sunset Strip scene of the 1980s, but Appetite for Destruction wasn't the instant hit you might think. The boys discuss drone notes in song intros, guitar solos in a different key, and the sleazy antics of an unhinged Hollywood rock and roll band. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episo...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 88
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Big Star were critical darlings from early 70s Memphis but struggled to find distribution or sell many of their meticulously-produced pop records. The team discuss harmonies sent through a leslie, the rise and fall of Ardent records, and how Alex Chilton makes $70 every time an episode of That 70s Show airs in syndication. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected]...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 87
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Earth, Wind & Fire were a band that cared about raising the spiritual consciousness of the people, and when Maurice White finally assembled his desired lineup, they went into the studio and made That's the Way of the World . The gents discuss kalimba playing, pocket bass heroes, and falsetto that could break champagne glasses. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints...
Jan 02, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 86
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Tori Amos was a piano prodigy discovered at age 5 and classically trained from there. She signed a 6 record deal and set out to conquer the world with solo debut "Little Earthquakes". The boys discuss acoustic piano dynamics, "lead singer" voice, and this record's connection to grunge. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion pla...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 85
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Rolling Stones were in a period of transition when they went into the studio to record their 8th record Let it Bleed . Founding member Brian Jones was on his way out, as were the 1960s and the Stones biggest UK rivals The Beatles. The team gets together in person and talks about drunken uncle porch music, the power of backup singing, and the band missing changes but not caring. We are recording this...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 84
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Stereolab have their first critical breakthrough on 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup and the french avant-pop scene would never be the same. The boys discuss looping as a writing strategy, giving a pass to bad lyrics in other languages, and instrumental songs with ridiculous titles. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist ...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 83
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Creedence Clearwater Revival was a hit-making force to be reckoned with in the late 1960s and was at their most powerful on Cosmo's Factory . The boys discuss John Fogerty's singing voice, the wisdom of covering already classic songs, and writing wholesome songs that sound like they're about drugs. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode ...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 82
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. U2 had achieved worldwide success in the 1980s but was struggling with their next step when they decided to head to a recently reunited Berlin to work on Achtung Baby . The fellows discuss Edge's guitar tones, Brian Eno's production style, and boring root note bass lines. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compila...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 81
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Bjork started studying and making music at a very young age, cycling through several genres before heading into the studio for "Debut". The chaps discuss Bjork's various singing styles, early 90's house music, and an army of saxophones. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on t...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 80
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Aretha was born to be a star, but first she had a tough life filled with pre-teen pregnancy and abuse. The team welcome a special guest and discuss piano chord voicings, tambourine takes, and the power of rewriting an intro. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode)...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 79
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Paul Simon was high off of a successful reunion concert in Central Park when Simon and Garfunkel decide to work together on a comeback album - but the relationship falls apart quickly and Hearts and Bones is the Paul Simon solo record we got instead. The team discuss re-using old song ideas, pleasant prog surprises, and Philip Glass's ambient noise production. Email us your complaints (or questions / co...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 78
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Michael Jackson had been a huge success since childhood, but Thriller made him the King of Pop. Heading into the studio with Quincy Jones, Michael knew the pressure was on as they attempted to make an album containing 100% singles. The team discuss key modulations, the pressures (and steps) of the mixing process, and the surprising connection between "Human Nature" and Toto's "Africa". Happy Halloween! ...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 77
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Ghostbeef knew they had to tell the story of how a fast food franchise came to rule us all with a meaty fist. In a very special episode today, we dive into the making of The Chop Unlimited's latest album release "GhostBeef" (available everywhere as of Oct 24th, 2022). We spend each week complaining about other people's records - now hear us complain about our own! The entire tracking band (Rob (guitar),...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 76
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Elvis Presley was just 18 years old when he recorded his first hit record for Sun Records, and 18 short months later he was a national phenomenon. In the space between he finished the recordings for this self-titled debut album which purposely leaves off his hit singles. The boys discuss early slap back effects, bad guitar solos, and the pointlessness of trying to cover Little Richard. Email us your com...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 75
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. New York Dolls were New York famous and highly influential during their relatively short tenure as a band. Does style over substance win the day? The team discuss after hours studio magic, sloppy-tight aesthetics, and "energy above everything" songwriting. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the song...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 74
